


In Which Attention is Avoided

by pennysparrow



Series: Batfam Week 2017 [3]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic), DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Fluff, Formalwear, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 22:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11194467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: Even when grown the Batkids only have so much of a tolerance for galas before they're forced to make a break for it.





	In Which Attention is Avoided

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of Batfam Week is Wayne Gala!

Dick tugged at his collar as he sipped cold apple cider from a champagne flute. Alfred smirked at him from across the ballroom, the older man full well knowing that the model chatting Dick up was most certainly drinking something significantly stronger and had a few too many by this point in the night. Unfortunately for Dick it didn’t look as though Alfred was going to come rescue him. His gaze searched the crowd for a savior.

His eyes fell on Tim who looked as though he was drowning in a sea of elderly socialites. He hummed at the model before quickly directing her attention to a passing waiter and going to extract him. As Dick made his way over and wedged himself between the cooing women Tim shot him a helpless smile.

“I’m so sorry ladies but I really must steal Tim away from you,” he told them, draping an arm around his brother’s tuxedo clad shoulders and steering him away.

Tim turned to whisper in Dick’s ear as the women pouted after them. “What’s Damian doing that you’re using me as an excuse.”

“That is what we’re going to find out,” Dick whispered back with a sly grin.

Tim shrugged Dick’s arm off his shoulder’s suddenly and made a face. He continued to walk with Dick to the small alcove where they could see the crowd but not necessarily be seen. Dick stopped suddenly, causing Tim to run into him with a soft “oof”. The alcove was already occupied by Cass and Jason, both looking less than comfortable in their formal wear.

Jason saw them lingering and sneered. “Find your own hiding place.”

Cass just shoved him deeper into the cramped space and waved to Dick and Tim. “Can squish.”

So, pushing Tim ahead of him Dick wedged himself in with his three siblings. It was a tight squeeze but the two fully grown men and slightly less than grown Tim and Cass managed to fit. They were still out of sight from the rest of the gala even if it meant that Jason’s elbow was digging into Dick’s kidney. Though Dick suspected his brother was doing that on purpose.

“Have you seen Damian?” Dick muttered to Cass. His eyes were scanning the crowd. Bruce was hosting the gala for the Wayne Foundation for what was certainly a worthy cause that Dick would admit he couldn’t remember. However, he and his children wanted to be anywhere but there thanks to the upper class of Gotham who thankfully opened their pockets but made the Waynes’ lives miserable for the night. It was a minor sacrifice for a major cause.

Normally though, the city needed saving by this point in the night and none of them had dealt with being at a gala for so long since their early days as a Wayne. Dick knew that if Tim and himself were getting antsy then they were all in trouble. Especially since Cass and Jason had beat them here.

With no sight of Damian or Stephanie, who was officially his “chaperone” at these events but was really a co-mischief maker, he began to worry. No sign was not a good sign with them. Doing a final doublecheck of the crowd Dick wiggled his hand into his suit jacket to pull out the comm stashed there.

“Ow Dickiebird, that was my spleen,” Jason grumbled.

“At least you have one,” Tim muttered forlornly.

“Hush,” Cass scolded her brothers. She turned her bat-glare on them, the only member of the family other than Bruce who could influence the others with it.

With his brother’s quieted Dick slipped the comm into his ear and switched it to the direct line, knowing that Bruce was listening in on the main one and would worry if he overheard. “Hey Babs? You got your ears on?”

Her laughter filtered into his ear. “That a rhetorical question Pixie Boots?”

“Was it?” He asked with a smirk.

“Less flirty banter more getting us out of here,” Tim snapped at him.

Dick pouted briefly at Tim before turning back to search the partygoers. “Do you think you could find your Batgirl and my Robin for me? They seem to be missing, I’m starting to worry, and we all want to get the hell out of Dodge.”

Babs snorted on the other end of the line and he could hear the clicking of her keystrokes before she finally replied. “I hate to break it to you but it appears as though they’ve ditched you. Security cameras have them in the game room with Steph whooping Damian’s butt at pool right now.”

Dick swore softly. “Ok. Thanks Babs. I’ll bring you food from that Italian place you like. The one across the street from the Clocktower.”

“Oh you better, Playboy Wonder. I saw quite the gaggle of models chatting you up as part of that footage. Meanwhile I’m slaving away over my keyboard and have Helena and Dinah doing your job,” Babs said.

Dick promised and removed the comm. He turned to the others who all looked at him expectantly. “They set something on fire?” Jason asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Nah, conned some guy into introducing his mistress as his wife in front of his actual wife.” Tim countered.

“You think?” Jason turned as much as he could in the cramped space to face Tim.

“For sure. Everyone always underestimates Steph. And we all know Damian is more manipulative than he appears.”

Cass nodded. “True.” She eyed Dick before a slow smile began to grow across her face. “But they ditched.” Dick grimaced and Cass’s eyes glowed with triumph. “On patrol? No. Hiding.” She paused as she thought for a moment. All of a sudden her entire face lit up. “Playing a game.”

“You scare me sometimes Cass. And not just cause you could whoop my butt without breaking a sweat.” Dick said. Cass just looked smug and began to creep out of the alcove.

“So where are they?” Jason asked as Dick began to follow her.

“Game room. Steph is wiping the floor with Dami at pool,” Dick told his brother over his shoulder.

Jason shoved his way out after Dick. “This I have got to see.”

Tim made his way down last. “Alfred won’t notice we’ve left the ballroom for another half an hour, by that point it will be time to go on patrol anyway.”

They all shared matching grins and together carefully picked their way through real estate tycoons with the newest phones, reporters in off brand suits, women dripping jewels and pearls each worth more than Dick’s entire apartment, and the social media celebrities who were too drunk to remember the night without the posts they were continuously making.

Managing to make it out unscathed and without catching Bruce’s attention they rounded the corner of the hall leading away from the ballroom. Here the four adoptive Waynes paused as Cass slipped off her heels, Dick undid his bow tie and top shirt button, and Tim shrugged his jacket off.

For his part Jason stripped down to his t-shirt, boxers, and socks all while cursing up a storm. “I don’t get it!” he growled as he balled the tux up and threw it next to Dick and Cass’s shoes on the floor. “I’m legally dead and yet I still have to go to these things. You know what? I don’t even care. I’m going to go watch Blondie beat the Demon Brat in pool.”

With that Jason took off sprinting down the hallway. Dick looked between Tim and Cass before shrugging and running after him. They laughed as they ran towards the game room, racing each other around turns and helping Cass to scoop up her dress’s long skirt.

They practically collapsed into the game room. Startling Stephanie and Damian, whose wide eyes clearly stated they were not expecting to be missed.

Dick pulled Damian into a hug that he tried to wiggle out of. “I thought you were getting yourself in trouble and here I was right. You better not be playing her for money.” Dick murmured into his little brother’s hair.

Managing to pull free Damian glared back at Dick. “-tt- Billiards is a peasant’s game of croquet which explains why Brown is so suited for it.”

“I’m sure that was an insult but I think there was a compliment buried in there,” Steph called cheerily.

“C’mon Pipsqueak and lose already so I can play Steph,” Jason practically whined as they all laughed. Damian did lose to Steph and so did Jason. She beat everyone that night and regaled Oracle and Batman with play-by-plays all patrol much to Gotham’s other vigilantes dismay.


End file.
